Meet Tia Booth's new man
By Rebecca Jane Stokes — Written on Nov 19, 2018
Who is Cory Cooper? When people go on The Bachelor or The Bachelorette, it can be easy to doubt their intentions. Sure, they may say that they are "in it for the right reasons", that they want to find love that will last a lifetime but lots of people do that every day and they don't have to go on a TV show to do it. Surely a large portion of the people on these shows aren't looking for love at all; instead what they're looking for is their fifteen minutes in the spotlight.
Though she may have been on both The Bachelor and Bachelor in Paradise what made Tia Booth so appealing on both shows is that she really did seem invested in finding a forever love to call her own. The cameras were almost incidental. When she first appeared on Arie Luyendyk Jr.'s season, everyone held their breath on her behalf. When she didn't get that final rose, it was nice to see that she was sure thing when it came to the next season of filming Bachelor in Paradise. She struck up a relationship with former NFL player Colton Underwood, and while sparks flew, they failed to ignite a fire.
Tia and her fans are still holding out hope that she's going to make that real love connection and now, it's looking like it might have finally happened for her! She recently shared a photo with a handsome new fella on her Instagram account and it's got everybody — from fans to friends to total strangers — talking. Who is this man and who is he to Tia? Has she finally found the love that she so very much deserves?
1. The Man In The Photo
Tia's been very quiet about her love life ever since calling it quits with Colton Underwood.
That's why it was so exciting when she posted a photograph of herself and a mystery guy on Monday, November 12th.
The photograph was taken inside of the Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, right from the football field! It's not surprising that someone with her level of fame gets an all-access pass like that, but what is surprising is just how coy she's playing it with the post.
Rather than "name the puppy" in the photo with her, Tia simply captioned the photo "Nashville weekends". So who is this guy and what does it mean?
2. Cory Cooper
Neither Tia nor any members of her team have officially spoken out about the picture in question, but as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words and if she's sharing a pic of herself getting all cozy with a fella, it's because the relationship has staying power, whether she's admitting it publicly or not.
Although she wasn't ready to share all there is to know about the guy in question, it didn't take long for Internet sleuths to at least figure out two important things about the new man in her life.
The first, is that his name is Cory Cooper. Cory lives in Nashville. That's a schlep from Arkansas where Tia lives, and the duo have definitely been spending time together.
Cooper is the Executive Vice President of Cooper Steel, and no, the name is anything but a coincidence. Cooper is managing the business that was started by his grandfather and his father 50 years ago in his native Nashville.
Cooper is a man who has his head on his shoulders and his eyes on the prize when it comes to business. Could his eye turn to Tia with serious romantic intentions next? Methinks yes!
3. Long Distance
How do we know this is a serious relationship and not something much more casual?
It's all in the details and the details in this case are a flight manifest!
While both Tia and Cory have southern roots, he makes his home in Nashville, Tennessee and she makes her home back in Arkansas, an inexplicable breeding ground for likable Bachelor contestants.
Tia wasn't afraid of having to travel great distances to be with the man she loved on the Bachelor, and it seems she was true to her word.
The couple has been reportedly flying out to see each other every other weekend. That's not exactly something that you'd do for a booty call, is it? I mean sure it depends on the quality of the booty, but come on now!
4. Sources Speaking Out
"Distance hasn't been an issue and they have been making a huge effort in seeing each other. It's still new and they're both happy," said one anonymous source to E! News who broke the story.
If "sources" are already coming out of the woodwork, surely that means where there is smoke there's fire, right?
Rebecca Jane Stokes is a writer living in Brooklyn, New York with her cat, Batman. Her work focuses on relationships, pop culture and news. For more of her work, check out her Tumblr.
WATCH: Tia Booth On Whether Colton Underwood Is Ready To Be The Bachelor